Businesses gather to show support for bridge lights plan

MORE than 20 businesses and other organisations have shown their support for plans to illuminate Henley Bridge.

The Make Henley Shine group wants to install 456 mini white LED lights on the Grade I listed structure.

It has applied to South Oxfordshire District Council and Wokingham Borough Council for planning permission, which has sparked a public debate between those for and against the £200,000 project.

On Monday, representatives of businesses met by the river outside Leander Club to show their support.

They included Brakspear, Hobbs of Henley, the Relais Henley hotel,  Phyllis Court Club, the River & Rowing Museum,  Ann Manning Insurance in Reading Road, European Consumer Claims and law firm Blandy & Blandy, both in Thames Side, the Head Partnership solicitors, Spoon café in Duke Street, Lilly Drycleaners in New Street,  Rupert House School and Education Henley and Naked Planet.

Daniel Bausor, chairman of Make Henley Shine, said: “The Make Henley Shine community project would see the world’s most sustainable LED lighting showcase Henley’s historic Grade I listed bridge with beautiful warm white lighting, a lighting level equivalent to moonlight on the water.

“We believe the project is an opportunity for Henley to pioneer the way as a sustainably-lit town by encouraging businesses, shops and other organisations to move to LED and lower light levels.

“This will generate business in the town and be a gateway for Henley.

“This is really a statement to show that business and community organisations are backing this project and want to make it happen. 

“In addition, Education Henley and local schools are backing Make Henley Shine as an engaging way for children to learn about the history, geography and broader environment with exciting ideas to broaden the scope of the project.

“As part of our planning application, we want to do an annual lighting design competition for young people, so it’s much bigger than just sustainable lighting on the bridge and will help revitalise the town.

“There are a lot of other opportunities to celebrate the arts and culture. Henley would be the first bridge outside London to be illuminated sustainably.”

Emma Sweet, of Brakspear, said: “When I heard about the idea, I thought it sounded like a nice thing to do. Anything that makes Henley stand out more is going to be a good thing.

“There’s a lot of competition for river towns up and down the Thames and Henley’s got a lot to talk about, so that’s why Brakspear supports it.”

Stephen Bucknill, of Blandy & Blandy, said: “We are delighted to support the project. We are helping with the planning and charity applications.”

Steve O’Connor, director of the River & Rowing Museum, said: “We’ve looked at all the reports and we think that actually this is a fantastic scheme to really draw people into the town.

“We recognise the importance of the impact it could have on the local ecology but actually think that due consideration has been given to that and we think that the benefit of bringing people to our town and shouting about Henley is what we should be really focused on.

“We think the right level of consideration and homework has been done and we hope that the councils will give it permission.”

Andrew Cooper, of European Consumer Claims, said: “From our viewpoint, it will be good for the future of the town.”

Dave Eggleton, an independent member of Henley Town Council, said: “I found a postcard from the last century with a picture of loads of lights on the bridge and it looked quite spectacular.

“If you look at any historic things, whether it’s churches, town halls or places of importance, they’re all lit up because it’s a statement. The Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, they’re all lit up, so why can’t we have the bridge lit up? It’s our jewel in the crown — let’s showcase it.

“I know it’s a special structure and it’s listed, but there are ways over that without doing any damage.” Nick Armitage, headmaster of Rupert House School in Bell Street, said: “I think it’s really exciting for the community. It’s great for the businesses in Henley, for families and children as well.

“It will make a real focal point of such an amazing landmark. The children are learning about how a bridge like this can be lit in an environmentally friendly way, understanding the impact that it has and the efforts the team here have made to mitigate that.

“They are understanding that projects like this are really important and they need to be done in an environmentally friendly way, as the team have done here.

“This has been done in a really sensitive way, engaging with the whole community, and I think it will benefit from it.

“Inevitably, it is costly and that money is being raised in different ways. It has been done in a charitable way, which for me is really important as well. It’s going to cost what it’s going to cost but I believe it will bring far more to the community than it will cost.”

Make Henley Shine says the lights would be laid flat on the bridge arches, spaced 50cm to 61cm apart and linked by a single cable. They would not be fixed to the stonework but screwed into the large joints between the stones.

Henley Town Council has recommended the application is refused.